Dear Neighbor,
I want to begin by sharing something fun and exciting for our community: HF3699 passed off the House floor Monday. This bill directs the DNR to hold a design contest for a brand new state park license plate celebrating the North Shore and the Lake Superior agate. This is a fantastic opportunity for artists, students, and outdoor enthusiasts across our district to leave their mark on something that will be seen by Minnesotans across the state. Keep an eye out for details from the DNR on how to enter the design contest. For now, I’ll dive into additional updates from this week at the Capitol.
Feeling the Weight of Tax Day
As I am sure you know, this Wednesday was the deadline to file your taxes. For many Minnesotans, Tax Day is a stark reminder of just how much of their paycheck goes to the government, and it is a feeling that too many families in our district know all too well. That is why House Republicans have been pushing hard this session for real affordability relief. We are fighting to eliminate state income taxes on tips and overtime pay, roll back vehicle registration taxes to pre-2023 levels, and provide a one-time special property tax refund for homeowners. These are commonsense proposals that would put real money back in the pockets of hardworking Minnesotans and, although we are facing stark opposition from the DFL, I will keep fighting to get them across the finish line.
Improving School Safety
One of the highlights this week was the introduction of our Safe Schools package, and I want to outline what is in it. This legislation increases funding for school safety in public, nonpublic, and Tribal schools, expands student mental health funding to prevent a crisis, provides flexible local options for anonymous threat reporting systems, strengthens school safety plans tailored to each community's unique needs, and gives schools flexibility to hire support personnel. It is a common sense, bipartisan approach to making sure every child is safe when they are at school. It is also worth noting that a portion of the funding for these provisions is redirected from projects like the Northern Lights Express, a wasteful and unwanted train project running from the cities to Duluth. Education is a core and legitimate function of government, and this bill redirects money to where it is actually needed. I also want to extend a sincere thank you to Chris Kampa, Finance Director of Cambridge-Isanti Schools, for taking the time to testify in support of this bill in committee. Having a voice from our community speak up on behalf of our students is very important, and I am grateful for his support on the bill.
Taking Steps to Address Fraud
I recently dropped HF4914, a bill brought to me by my constituent Nate George, the mayor of Braham. The bill would require the state auditor to assign a fraud risk score to every city, county, and school district in Minnesota, measuring each local government's vulnerability to fraud, waste, and mismanagement. Scores would be updated every two years and published in a public database so taxpayers can see how their local governments stack up. Along with other fraud-prevention and punishment measures, I believe it is exactly the kind of proactive tool we need to get serious about protecting taxpayer dollars here in Minnesota. I had the opportunity to give a statement to Alpha News for an article on this bill. The article gives a good explanation of what the bill does and how it came to be. You can read that here.
An Update on Impeachment Proceedings
We took steps in committee this week to consider impeachment proceedings for Governor Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison. It is clear to me that state officials that allowed $9 billion of fraud need to be prosecuted and appropriately punished. Unfortunately, House Democrats do not share that same idea and blocked the motion in committee. I will share further updates on the proceedings if there is any movement. Thank you for your trust and engagement in the process.
An Update on my Term Limits bill
For an update on my bill to establish term limits for the governor and lieutenant governor, check out this video/article from KSTP.
Sincerely,
Jimmy